COVID-19: Incidence, transmission no. up significantly

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 7 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number rose to 1.18 in the September 14-27 period, the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said on Friday, up from 1 in last week's report.
    An Rt over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.
    The incidence climbed to 441 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, up from 325 in last week's report.
    The number of regions/autonomous provinces with an incidence over 600 has risen from two to seven.
    They are: Abruzzo (603.8), Friuli Venezia Giulia (710), the province of Bolzano (863.8), the province of Trento (825.2), Piedmont (654.7), Umbria (680.6) and Veneto (728.9).
    The report said the pressure the coronavirus is exerting on Italy's hospitals has increased too.
    It said 1.8% of Italy's intensive care beds were occupied by COVID sufferers on October 6, up from 1.4% on September 29.
    The proportion of ordinary-ward places taken up by coronavirus patients rose to 8.2%, up from 6% on September 22.
    The number of regions/autonomous provinces above the alert threshold of 15% for COVID occupation of ordinary hospital beds rose from three to four - Bolzano (24.6%), Umbria (21,6%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (16.9%) and Valle d'Aosta (16,4%).
    Six regions are now classed as being at high risk for the presence of multiple resilience alerts, the report said: Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Puglia and Veneto.
    One region, Tuscany, is described as not classifiable, a status equivalent to high risk.
    The remaining 14 regions are moderate risk.
    Health ministry prevention chief Gianni Rezza said that with the Rt number above one, the pace of circulation of the virus was increasing.
    "We are over the epidemic threshold," he said. (ANSA).